The New World
by Prime102805
Summary: Bella has just awakened to find everything she's known has changed. Luck strikes as she comes across a family nearby that knows exactly what's going on. But does she really want all the answers? ON TEMPORARY HIATUS
1. Changes

I awoke suddenly, in the middle of a large, secluded meadow. Awoke from an unbelievably excruciating dream.

_Or... was it a dream?_

Everything feels so different.

New.

My eyesight seems sharper, more focused.

I can now smell things that I'd never once smelled before.

My hearing has become unbelievably more pronounced, to the point that I can hear cars honking, and footsteps on gravel, though I'm surely miles away from any roads.

And there's that other thing that I can't quite explain.

I have no pulse.

I can no longer feel, or hear, my heart beat.

It's simply... stopped.

_Odd._

_Does this mean that I'm dead?_

It must.

_But does that make this heaven?_

No, it can't be. No big white puffy clouds, golden arches, angels floating around...

It's like the place I was before the dream.

Only... different?

I sat up and looked down at myself. My clothes were torn and stained with dried blood. My arms and legs were pale - a different kind of pale than before.

I carefully reached out and touched my legs.

Soft and smooth. Yet hard...

More durable than before. No longer like my skin could be easily cut through, or harmed in any way.

_I don't understand. What happened?_

I tried to rack my brain, trace my last memories to find out what had happened before I had the pain filled dream.

_Flashes..._

Just flashes...

I saw red eyes.

A strong, pale arm grabbing me, holding me in place.

Then the pain started.

Burning, searing me from the inside out as if I was being burned alive.

I don't know how long it lasted.

Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks...

Judging by the dried blood on my clothes, it must have at least been a few hours. Maybe days.

I stood up carefully, testing myself. I didn't fall, stumble, wobble, or tip. I just stood upright with ease, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Which, for me, it wasn't.

Normally I could find a way to trip over solid, even ground.

And after what I had just gone through, whatever it was, something severe enough to make me _spill blood all over_?

I should have fallen straight back down on my ass.

But I didn't.

_What happened to me?_

I took a few steps, very carefully, unaware of what would happen.

_Nothing._

I took a few more steps.  
_  
Nothing._

So I began walking, away from the direction that all the street noise was.

I picked up my pace as I reached the end of the meadow, entering a large thicket of trees.

I didn't trip once.

Empowered by my new found balance, I began to go even faster, to the point that I was jogging through the trees, dodging them all, as well as all the large rocks and hanging vines, with ease.

Though at one point I had to slow down to squeeze through a pair of trees.

My shoulders scraped against the bark, giving me a wave of odd sensations that I'd never felt before.

None of them pain.

Once I was out to the other side, I looked down at myself curiously.

Not a single scratch.

I reached down and pinched some skin between my fingers, testing myself.

No pain.

Just another wave of weird sensations.

It was if I was feeling and touching everything for the very first time.

"Huh," I mumbled.  
_  
That's odd. Does my voice sound different?_

"Huh," I repeated, louder this time.

_I think I'm just beginning to imagine things now._

_This can't be real._

_I need to find some answers._

So I began to run, the trees passing me by in a blur of brown and green, suddenly desperate to have some sort of human contact.  
_  
To find out what's happening, if I've gone crazy, if this is all just a dream, if everything _before_ this was just a dream..._  
_  
I have to know._

Eventually I reached the end of the thicket, only to find a large open field. At the end of the field was a house.

A huge house.

I let out a sigh of relief as it grew closer and closer with each frantic step I took.  
_  
Please let someone be home..._

I ran up the steps and came to a sudden halt.

I didn't slip.

"Hello?!" I shrieked in my new, foreign voice, as I began to pound on the door. "Is anyone home! Please!"

The door swung open. I quickly pulled my hand back so I wouldn't hit the person who opened it.

It was a man - a young man, with the strangest colored bronze hair I'd ever seen.

He was gorgeous, stunningly me momentarily.

He looked at me in pure shock, before suddenly shouting the name "Carlisle."

I had a feeling whoever the people who lived here were, they were going to be able to give me some answers.

I heard a loud, grinding noise of a chair being pushed back across the floor in one of the rooms, probably from up the stairs.

A young looking man with short blond hair came running over to stand beside the bronze haired man. I assumed this was Carlisle.

"What is it, Edwar - my God...."

He stepped forward, gazing intently at me. The bronze haired man, who I guessed was named Edward, kept looking back and forth between me and Carlisle, looking quite unsettled.

"She's... one of our kind," Edward said, with what sounded like confusion.

Carlisle cautiously reached a hand out, and took a piece of the bloodied, tattered fabric of my shirt between his fingers.

"Miss... Are you aware of what has happened to you?" He asked me slowly, as if speaking with a four year old.

"I... I don't know... I woke up down there," I gestured behind me, to the thicket I'd just come from, "and... and everything's different now. Have I gone crazy or something? I don't understand... I think I was attacked, but I can't remember much. There was the dream, the pain... God, the _pain_," I shuddered.

"There must have been travelers," Carlisle mumbled bitterly, turning to Edward. "Why wouldn't Alice have made us aware of this?"

Edward just shrugged.

"I didn't see a thing. Either it slipped through, or she was hiding it from me."

Carlisle nodded and stepped aside, allowing me room to enter.

"Please, come on inside. We can help."

I closed my eyes, letting out a long, slow sigh of relief.

"Thank you."

* * *

About twenty minutes later, Carlisle finally managed to give me an answer.

"So... i'm... a _vampire_?"

"Well, since Edward and I are unable to sense a heartbeat, and with all that you've told us... And with all my hundreds of years of medical experience, yes, I'm afraid that is the case."

"But - but, no, that can't be. Vampires are like unicorns, you know? They - they just don't exist!"

Edward scoffed, and turned his gaze away from me.

"Then what are the three of us doing here?"

"I don't believe it," I gasped, unable to fully process what I'd been told.

_Vampire._

"I'm sorry, Miss."

I shook my head, not liking the way he addressed me.

_"Miss..."_

"I have a name, you know."

"Of course," he nodded. "My apologies. So then what is your name?"

"Ummm..."

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to force it to come back to me. Carlisle and Edward waited patiently for who knows how long until it eventually struck me.

"Bella," I shrieked, my eyes shooting open. "My name is Bella."

I noticed the sides of Edward's lips twitch up into a slight smile.

"That's a beautiful name," he whispered, glancing cautiously at Carlisle out of the corner of his eye, as if waiting to be scolded for saying so.

I just shrugged, unsure of what to make if his words.

"Thanks?"

His smile grew wider.

"Well," Carlisle started, standing up and gesturing for me to do the same. I did, as did Edward. "You're welcome to stay with us until you're comfortable with your new self, or for as long as you'd like. We have plenty of room, and I'm sure there's still much you would like to learn of... our kind."

"That's real nice of you, but I don't want to impose, really."

"It isn't a problem, I assure you. We'd love to have you. Right, Edward?"

Edward looked at me then, long and hard, as if contemplating, before smiling and giving a nod of approval.

"Yes, it would be an honor. In fact, I'd even like to take it upon myself to help you become more at ease with everything."

I bit down on my lower lip nervously, unsure of what to say.

_They're being so kind, even though I just barged my way into their lives completely unannounced._

_I couldn't possibly take advantage of them._

_But on the other hand, I would like some help with everything, and this family seems to know all the answers...._

"Alright," I sighed, defeated. "But only if you promise to let me know the moment I become a burden."

Carlisle just laughed at that.

"Very well. Though I have a feeling you'll be waiting a very, very long time."

"Then thank you."

"Edward, why don't you go upstairs to Rosalie's room, and find a change of clothes for Bella. I'm sure she can't wait to get out of that... outfit.

"Of course. I'll be right back."

And with that, he turned and ran up the stairs at a speed so incredible, I'm surprised I was even able to see it.

Carlisle smiled at my reaction, and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"As you see, there's much to get used to."

_I guess so..._

* * *

**So i've started up a new story. I've got quite a few plans with this one! Though, since I'm still working on my other story Intern And The Vampire, updates won't be very often. I'll try to crank out at least one chapter a week, though I can't make any promises with that.**

**Thank you for reading!**

**- (Prime102805)  
**


	2. Meet The Family

"Bella," Edward called out from the top of the stairs. "I've chosen something for you."

He came down the stairs at what seemed to be a fairly slow pace, and gestured for me to join him.

"I'll show you to your room."

"Th-thank you," I stuttered, giving a slight nod before walking over.

"We're a little short of rooms at the moment, so I'm afraid you'll have to share one with me until we're able to put in an addition. I hope you don't mind."

"No, that's fine. As long as it doesn't put you out or anything..."

He just smirked and shook his head.

"I've cleared my things to one side of the room. We can set up everything of yours to the other. If you'd like, I can arrange for a screen of some sort to be set up in the middle, to give you your privacy."

"That's okay, really. You don't have to do that."

Edward led me up the stairs and into a huge, open room.

The entire right side was entirely filled with music.

CD's, LP's, records, cassette tapes...

There was a large stereo pushed up against the wall, with a few different types of players hooked up to it, set on a row of shelves.

On the left side of the room, there was only one thing.

A black leather couch.

There seemed to be some clothes set on one of the cushions.

Edward walked over and picked them up.

"I hope these are to your liking?" He asked, holding out a plain black short sleeved shirt and pair of jeans that, oddly enough, looked like they'd fit me perfectly.

"Um, yeah. Thank you," I nodded, smiling politely.

"I'll just... leave, so you can change," he mumbled, running in a blur out the door.

"....Bye?"

* * *

  
I returned to the living room a minute later, having changed into the clothes Edward had provided for me.

Him and Carlisle were there, along with five other people.

A woman with short, spikey dark hair who kept glancing anxiously between Edward and I, and a blond haired man who had an arm wrapped protectively around her, while holding on to one of her hands.

A huge, bulking man with short, dark curly hair, who had his arm wrapped around a stunningly beautiful blond woman who was glaring at me.

And a woman with carmel colored hair that was sitting beside Carlisle, seemingly indifferent to everything.

"Umm... Hi?"

Edward smirked, and began to point to each new face, naming them off.

"Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Esme."

He then gestured to me.

"Bella."

Everyone raised one hand, and said "_hi_" in unison.

I gave a slight wave.

Once everyone lost interest in me, after I remained silent, I gave a pointed look at Edward, and gestured to Rosalie. He lifted a hand slightly, and pointed at me.

I wrinkled my nose in confusion. He ducked his head down momentarily, before looking back up and mouthing the words "_your clothes_".

_My clothes?_

My clothes!

Edward must have borrowed them from Rosalie....

With the glare she's giving me, I'm guessing that means she doesn't like to share.

"Well, Bella," Carlisle sighed, clasping his hands together. Everyone turned and looked at him. "I suppose your thirst is starting to become quite unbearable, hm?"

"No. I'm okay."

_Lies._

My throat burned like hell, scorching a pit into my empty stomach.

I just didn't want to think about killing people just yet.

"Maybe we should hunt," Edward suggested, gazing at me anxiously, noticing the tension.

"Actually, I'd like to prolong the slaying as long as possible, if that's alright."

Carlisle chuckled.

"That's understandable. Just let us know when you're unable to control yourself."

"You'll be the first to know."

"Is anybody going to explain who this is?" Rosalie asked through gritted teeth, still glaring right at me.

Edward hissed at her.

"This is Bella," Carlisle stated calmly. "She'll be staying with us for awhile."

"We don't have enough room."

"Edward was kind enough to clear some space out of his bedroom for her."

Rosalie's eyes darted back and forth between Edward and I, before letting out an odd little snarl.

"Rosie," Emmett started, rubbing her shoulder. She shrugged him away and stood up.

"Are you joking?" She seethed, clenching and unclenching her fists angrily. "We have to share the house with her just because she's Edward's little _sex buddy_?!"

"Enough!" Edward roared, darting out of his seat and tackling Rosalie to the ground.

They bit and clawed at each other furiously, as the rest of the family got up and attempted to pry them apart.

"It's not worth it, Rosie, baby," Emmett crooned, trying to lure her out.

"I won't tolerate this!" Carlisle boomed.

"I really wish the two of you could work this out in a more civilized manner," Esme chastised. "I know I've raised you better than this."

"Careful, Edward! You'll break one of her nails, and spend the next six hundred years hearing her bitch about it," Alice grinned, seemingly amused.

Jasper just watched, with a faraway look in his eyes.

Alice stood by him and held his hand, as though trying to give some comfort.

Edward was soon pulled away from Rosalie after Carlisle and Esme worked together on it.

His hair was in complete disarray, and his shirt was torn to pieces.

He let out one last warning hiss at Rosalie before shrugging away from Carlisle and Esme's grasp, and walking over to my side.

"I think I need to hunt for myself," he stated calmly, shooting a glare at Rosalie and then looking back at me with a polite smile. "Would you care to join me, Bella? I'd be happy to help."

I took one last glance at the family.

Everyone looked like hell from the outburst.

_I guess it would be best if we left, to give everyone time to settle down._

"Sure. Let's go."

* * *

  
And so we headed outside, Edward leading the way.

"I know of a good place. Very secluded, we shouldn't encounter any unwanted guests."

"That's... nice," I nodded.

He turned and gave me an odd look.

"You're still feeling uneasy about the whole hunting thing, aren't you?"

"Very much so, yes."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault."

He just shrugged and turned back.

After a minute of an oddly comfortable silence, I just had to say more.

_I'm not about to go into this without some sort of warning of what's to come._

"How does it go?"

He stopped then, and turned back to face me.

"The hunt?"

"Yeah."

He paused and contemplated his response.

"Well... it is a bit odd, for the first time. But it really grows on you, and you soon find yourself more and more willing to continue." He scoffed. "Not as though you have much of a choice in the matter."

"But, I mean... Well, how does it go? What do you do?"

His eyes grew dark, and he stared at me for a minute, before turning back and continuing on.

"I'll let you find out for yourself. Don't worry, you catch on very quickly."

_I don't like the way his whole demeanor changed at that question..._

Will it really be so bad?

"I, um... I do have another question..."

"What."

"Do you feel guilty afterwards? You know... taking the life of a human and everything."

He froze.

_Maybe I should have kept that one to myself..._

"Bella. There's something you should know about my family."

He remained in place, only turning his head slightly to the side while speaking to me.

"We don't feed off of humans."

"You don't?"

"No. It's a long story, one that I'm sure Carlisle would prefer to tell, but..."

He sighed.

"We prefer to drink the blood of animals."

"Oh," I replied, surprised by his response.

I wasn't expecting that one.

"I suppose that would be easier to live with. It's not like I've never eaten animals before. Just not in this way."

He smiled darkly and nodded once, then continued forward.

"Hey, shouldn't we be careful? I mean, what if someone sees us..."

"Don't worry. Nobody will."

He looked back at me over his shoulder and pointed a finger at his temple.

"Built in radar."

"I don't understand..."

He sighed and looked ahead again, as if hesitating, before looking back.

"There are those of us who have special... skills. Of all kinds, really."

He shrugged.

"Mine happens to be mind reading."

"Really?"

"Yes. I have the ability to read the minds of most anyone."

_Amazing..._

"So you know what I'm thinking then, right now?"

He paused.

Then sighed.

"Not exactly."

Anoter pause.

"Yours is the only mind, in all the ninety-one years that I've had this ability, that I can't hear."

This time I was the one who paused.

_I mean, really, how do you respond to that?_

"Do you... know why?"

"No. And it's been driving me insane, quite honestly."

He chuckled darkly.

"So to answer your first question, no, nobody will see us. Because I can hear all of them. We're safe."

I just nodded as he led me out to who-knows-where, because, really, I was rendered completely speechless.

* * *

  
The farther we walked, the more nervous I became.

_What type of animal will it be?_

How will it taste?

How will I react to the taste?

Will I feel weird afterward?

There's just too many questions.

"We're here," Edward announced, holding his arms out in a 'there we have it' gesture.

"It's nice."  
_  
Except for the way it reminds me of the place of my rebirth._

"So where do we begin?"

"Wherever you'd like. Let your instincts choose the prey, and go with it."

I wrinkled my nose up in confusion.

He sighed.

"It's quite simple, really."

I continued to stare blankly at him.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Alright then. Let's just start with this... take a deep breath."

I did.

"Now what?"

"Well, did you catch the scent of anything appealing?"

"Not really. Just a lot of moss, and leaves, and old rain, and - "

"Try again."

"Okay..."

I took another deep breath.

And released it with a growl.

It took me a moment to actually realize it came from me.

_I thought only lions and bears and things made noises like that._

Does that make me a beast?

"There it is," Edward sighed, smiling darkly. "You've found your prey."

"I feel... weird," I hissed, shutting my eyes tightly.

It was as if two people were inside of me, playing tug of war.

I wasn't sure which side I wanted to win.

"Take another breath. Let the dark side take you over."

I obeyed, taking in another deep, shaky breath.

Releasing it with a snarl this time.

My eyes flew open, focusing on a large buck off in the distance.

I could nearly taste him already.

_And... I like that._

I crouched down, placing my hands on the ground, preparing to strike.

All I could hear was a little voice in the back of my head screaming  
**  
FEED ME**

over and over again.

_Your wish is my command._

I made a mad dash for the buck, tearing after it like a bat out of hell.

It didn't stand a chance.

All other creatures spread apart for me like the red sea as I flew at my target.

He had only just turned his head in my direction, finally noticing my presence, as I tackled him to the ground.

Everything after that was just a blur of images and colors, all ending with a bright flash as I stood up from the emptied creature.

It was over.


	3. Continuing The Hunt, New Feelings

"Well done," Edward smiled, nodding his approval.

"It's done?" I asked in a tiny voice, as I glanced down at my hands.

_Drenched in blood._

_Lovely._

"Yes, you're all done. Unless you're thirsty for more?"

I brought a hand up to my lips, sucking my fingers dry with a low hiss.

"I'll take that as a yes."

I nodded excitedly, switching to the other bloodied hand and sucking that one dry as well.

"I don't quite remember what happened," I sighed, dropping the hand to my side, "but I do know how it made me feel."

I took a deep breath, testing the air for more prey.

"And... how is that?" He asked, as I took another breath.

_Bingo._

"Alive," I exhaled, crouching down and scanning the area for whatever it was that was giving off such a delicious smell.

I heard Edward crouch down beside me.

I instinctively flinched away.

That made him hesitate before speaking.

"Bella... I believe the scent you've caught is that of a young bear cub."

"Bear?"

_Sounds yummy._

"Yes. A bear _cub_."

I turned my head to look at him, curious as to what the big deal was.

"So?"

"It's young, still forced to remain close to the mother. Can't you smell her?"

I took another breath, and wrinkled my nose in confusion.

"Well, you'll grow more educated on scents soon enough. The more you smell, the more you learn," he shrugged.

"But I don't get it. Why does it matter that the mom is there?"

"Because, it will make this meal much more of a challenge than the last. The mother will be very aggressive, she won't allow you anywhere near her cub. She'll need to be taken out first."

He paused, surveying the area carefully.

Skillfully.

"At least I don't smell the father around. We should consider ourselves lucky for that one."

"Aren't we just a little bit stronger than a bear?" I scoffed.

He glared at me.

"That's just the sort of attitude that gets newborns like yourself killed."

I looked down at my hands, shamefaced.

"I'm sorry."

He paused.

I chanced a quick glance back over at him.

He was staring at something off in the distance. Probably the bears.

He looked back over at me, searching my face for something.

Before I could ask him what he was doing, he let out a sigh of defeat.

"Go. Now."

_Don't need to tell me twice._

I tore out across the land, the mother bear locked in my sight.

She saw me.

She let out a ferocious snarl and dove in front of her cub, standing up straight on her back paws.

_As if she could scare me off._

_As if she could make it out of this alive._

But that's when Edward's words came back to me.

_"That's just the sort of attitude that gets newborns like yourself killed..."_

I slowed to a stop just a few feet away from my meal.

_Easy, Bella. _

_Don't rush into things._

I heard a growl from where I left Edward crouching down, as a large paw came at me - aiming for my head.

I ducked down, at my new, inhuman speed.

This seemed to stun the creature, as she did a sort of double take at the empty space her paw had just swatted.

_I guess speed is the key._

With that in mind, I shot around to her back, leaping on to her shoulder before she even had a chance to blink.

That was when the monster began to yell at me again.

**FEED ME**

**FEED ME**

**FEED ME**

I closed my eyes and dug my teeth into her neck, easily latching on to a vein.

Next thing I knew I was laying flat on my ass, blood covering my shirt, as the mother bear stood over me.

"What was that," I whispered no one in particular, trying to blink away the white haze that clouded my vision.

The bear roared then, aiming a giant paw right at my head again.

"NO!" Edward roared, flying in from out of nowhere and tackling the creature to the ground.

I heard the distinct sound of bones crunching as I stood up.

"Bella, are you alright?" He asked, standing up from the creature and coming over to inspect me.

"Man... If I had a pulse right now, it would be going crazy with adrenaline," I muttered with a breathless chuckle.

"This isn't a game!" He growled, grabbing my shoulders forcefully.

I flinched.

He quickly released his grip and took a step back, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "But Bella, this isn't a game. It's far too serious, something that should _not_ be taken lightly. This is life or death."

"You... didn't seem to have a problem with it..."

He dropped his hand and glared at me.

"That's because I have nearly a hundred years of experience. You don't."

"Okay," I nodded, shuffling my feet nervously. "I'm sorry."

He let out a deep breath.

"It's alright. Just please be more careful the next time?"

"Of course."

"Good."

His eyes then trailed from my eyes down to my chest.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"Umm... your shirt," he stuttered, noticing the place he'd been caught staring at. "It's a mess."

"Oh."

I looked down at it, suddenly feeling very guilty that I'd made such a mess out of it.

_If Rosalie wasn't mad before..._

"No worries. It's black, even if it does leave a stain it would be difficult to notice."

He paused.

"For human eyes, anyways," he added with a smirk.

"I guess that means we need to go back to your place and get this cleaned."

"It's your place too, Bella."

"Hm," I grunted, not really sure how to react to the kindness of this family yet.

He just smiled.

And began to remove his shirt.

"What are you doing?" I gasped, attempting to shield my vision.

"Relax," he chuckled, holding his shirt out to me. "I just think it would be best if nobody wore that bloodied, tattered shirt on the walk home. And since I'm far too much of a gentleman to allow _you_ to make the walk shirtless..."

I took the shirt from him, muttering my thanks and looking down at my feet.

He chuckled again.

"What's the matter, Bella? Haven't you ever seen a man without a shirt on before?" He joked.

"Ummm... I don't know," I shrugged, thankful for the lack of blood flow in my cheeks.

_I could have said "Sure, just not one as good looking as you" but that probably wouldn't have gone over so well._

He cleared his throat.

I glanced up.

"I'll just turn my back so you can change."

He stuck his hands in his pockets and did just as he said, spinning quickly on his heels until his back was turned to me.

"If it would make you more comfortable, you can go behind one of the trees. Though I can assure you right now, I was raised better than to peek."

"Thank you," I smiled, staying right where I was to make the change.

* * *

We walked home in silence.

Me, because I was busy trying not to look at shirtless Edward, for the way it made me feel all awkward in a way I wasn't familiar with.

And Edward, because he could sense my awkwardness.

Right once we walked through the front door Alice jumped in front of us, a weird gleam in her eyes.

"You're back!"

"Yes," Edward responded curtly.

"What happened to your shirt?" She asked with a smile that suggested that she did, in fact, know what happened to his shirt.

"As if you didn't see. Did you take care of it?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Come on, you're not playing along. And _yes_, of course I did."

"Playing along with what?" I asked curiously, looking back and forth between the two.

"Don't pay any attention to her," Edward replied monotonously, pulling me upstairs by the arm.

"What about Rose's shirt?" She called up the stairs.

Edward growled and tossed it down to her. She caught it in her hand stuck her tongue out at him.

"You're welcome!"

"Thank you, Alice," he mumbled under his breath, rolling his eyes.

She smiled proudly and bounced away, as Edward tugged me into his - _our_ - room.

There was a new, large dresser placed on my side of the room.

"Alice took the liberty of buying you a new wardrobe. We weren't sure what you'd like, so it's mostly just the same styles of clothing in a large variety of different colors."

He gestured to the dresser and shrugged.

"I know, it's not very much. But it's only to last you for the weekend."

My eyes widened and I ran over to the dresser, opening up all the drawers to look inside.

"All of this for one weekend? Surely you must be joking. I don't even go through this much in a _month_!"

He just laughed and leaned against the doorway.

"I'm afraid you'll have to get used to a lavish life style if you plan on staying."

"This... is... wow..."

"Do you like it then?"

"Yes, of course, it's more than I could have asked for. Thank you."

He nodded, and crossed his arms.

"Well, i'll make myself scarce so you can change."

"Umm... okay..."

I glanced down into the top drawer, which was overflowing with shirts.

_So this isn't a joke?_

_Who _are_ these people??_

_Oh, right._

_Vampires._

_They've had hundreds of years to save up money.  
_  
"I'll be down in the basement if you need anything."

"The basement?" I asked, turning around to face him.

But he had already left.

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! Have I said that? If not, well... I have now. Thank you. I really do appreciate it, even though sometimes I space out and end up not replying to some. Really. Reviews are as good as shirtless Edward. :)  
**

**I'm trying to update this as often as possible, though I am working on another story - one that kind of taps out my creativity. So, I do have tons of ideas of this story, with most of it already mapped out in my head. But it's hard sometimes to just sit and type it all out, with conversations and explanations to progress the story the way I want.  
**


	4. Across The Keys

**That's right, you've got yourself a two-for-one day! This one it a little short, but is still my favorite of the two.**

**Here's the Youtube code-link for the video that inspired me to crank out this chapter:**

**watch?v=1HQu2ta7SUU**

* * *

After changing, I went downstairs to the main level to look for Edward.

I found Emmett on the couch watching television.

"Um... Emmett, right?"

"Rightey-o, Bella. What can I do for you?"

He flashed me a grin.

"Where's the basement?"

His grin disappeared.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Um, I'm looking for Edward..."

He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the television.

"He doesn't like to be bothered when he's down there."

"Oh."

"How did you know he'd be there anyways?"

"Um, he told me that's where he'd be. For if I needed anything."

He looked back at me, knitting his eyebrows together.

"Oh, do you need something? I could help you, it wouldn't be weird or anything. You can think of me like your big brother," he grinned.

I couldn't help but smile back.  
_  
Man, this family really is friendly._

_What do they want with _me_?_

"I guess I was just looking for Edward. But thank you."

"Ahhh. I see."

He winked at me.

Seriously.  
_  
Winked._

"Come on, i'll show you where it is."

He hopped off of the couch and strode past me, gesturing that I should follow.

We soon reached a set of stairs that led underground.

"There's not, like, coffins and skulls and everything down here... Right?"

He laughed loudly, the sound echoing off the walls, and slapped me on the back.

"Not all the superstitions are true, kid."

"Yeah, like what?"

"Hmmm... Well, we don't sleep in coffins. We do cast reflections. Crosses and holy things don't burn us. Oh, and we can go out in the sun. As long as there's no humans nearby..."

"Huh?"

"You'll see," he grinned, leading me down the stairs.

"Umm, okay. Oh! What about the whole repelled by garlic thing?"

"Depends on how you mean it. It can't harm us, but... Man, does it reek!"

He made a gagging noise to drive the point home.

I smiled and shook my head at that.

_So this is what it's like to have a big brother..._

_It's nice._

At the bottom of the stairs was a door - which was closed.

"Here we are! Edward's second bedroom."

"Huh?"

"Oh, he spends at least half of his day down here, and nobody else ever comes down, so we've taken to calling it his 'second bedroom'."

He opened the door, and a sea of musical notes poured out around us.

He stopped playing, the notes gently fading away.

"Bella?"

Emmett nudged me inside and closed the door.

_I don't hear footsteps..._

_He must be listening in on us._

"Bella," Edward called out from across the room, where he was sitting by a huge ebony piano. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, um, I just... Wanted to know what was down here?"

_Nice answer, dim bulb._

He nodded and turned back to face the piano, placing his hands above the keys but not pressing down.

"This is just where I keep all of my instruments. I like to come down here a lot, to play them."

He paused, staring down at his hands in a weird way, like he was contemplating something.

"I find it to be the best way to... express myself. Let out all of my thoughts, and feelings."

I started to slowly walk over, at a human pace.

"What were you just playing?"

He closed his eyes and removed his hands from the keys, placing them on his lap.

"It isn't finished yet."

I reached the piano bench and sat down beside him.

Not too close, since I have been a little antsy about any form of physical contact since... my transformation.

But also not too far apart.

I was starting to like Edward.

He made me feel comfortable.

_Different._

"It sounded beautiful."

The corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly into a small smile.

"It should," he whispered.

I cocked my head, and eyed him curiously.

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, his smile growing.

"Will you play me something?"

He glanced down at the keys and took a deep breath.

"What would you like to hear?"

"Anything."

He cleared his throat, placed his hands on the keys, and began to play the worst rendition of Chopsticks that I've ever heard.

"Come on!" I laughed, reaching over and nudging him playfully.

He grinned and stopped playing, looking over at me with a shrug.

"I know you can do better than that. I heard you."

"So you want to hear me play something well, then?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"Fine. You asked for it."

He stretched his arms out dramatically, wiggled his fingers a bit, and began to pound out the most spectacular version of L'Ise Joyeuse that I've ever heard.

A version that would put Claude Debussy himself to shame.

My mouth dropped as I watched his hands fly across the keys, at a speed that would surely be incomprehensible to someone human.

He just glanced over at me with the silliest grin, as some locks of hair drooped over his eyes.

I felt the need to brush them away.

After what felt like only seconds, the song came to a close with a little dramatic flair.

Then he just turned and looked at me as if expecting something.

"I feel like I should be clapping."

He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

"You don't have to, really. The look of pure awe on your face the whole time I was playing was enough of an ego boost for me."

The door was suddenly thrown open then, slamming against the wall and making a noise so loud as it echoed off the walls that it nearly knocked me off the bench.

"EDWARD!!" Rosalie shrieked, holding up a piece of stained and tattered black fabric.

_The shirt..._

"Rosalie," he started calmly, rising up out of his seat and holding his hands up as if trying to calm her.

"Don't you DARE _'Rosalie_' me!" She hissed. "Why in the hell would you allow her to ruin my shirt like this?!"

His nostrils flared and his hands began to clench and unclench, as if he was trying to control his temper.

"Well, Bella is perfectly alright, thanks for asking."

"Who cares about her?! This is my best Chanel shirt!!"

"Relax, the collection is still in stores. You can just buy another."

Her eyes began to twitch.

I felt the need to take cover.

"It. Was. Limited. Edition," she seethed, clutching the shirt so tight I heard some tearing.

"I'm sorry," he shrugged.

She narrowed her eyes at me.

"She should be the one that's sorry."

"I-I'm sorry," I uttered in the smallest, itty-bitty little voice I'd ever used.

She lifted her chin up high and snorted.

"You will be."

And with that, she spun around and ran upstairs.

Edward ran a hand through his hair and sighed before slamming the door and walking back over to me.

"Bitch," he hissed, digging a few fingers into his scalp. "I'm terribly sorry about her, Bella. She can be a real..."

"Bitch?"

"Right," he smiled bashfully. "Please don't tell Esme I said that."

"Wouldn't she be able to hear it?"

"Oh, no I had the walls soundproofed. You can't hear a thing, inside or out." He tapped his hand against the wall, as if to prove his point.

"Yeah?"

I smiled up at the ceiling, pondering what sort of tests I could try.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked after a moment.

I looked back at him.

He was leaning against the wall, hands in his jean pockets, gazing curiously at me.

I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders.

"Nothing."

He growled playfully.

"You know how it drives me crazy, not knowing what's going on inside of your head."

"I know."

He chuckled.

"That's not very nice, Bella."

I chewed on my lower lip and looked back up at the ceiling, going back to my previous thoughts.

".....I was just thinking."

"Yes?"

I giggled at his impatience.

He growled again.

"I was just thinking, how much fun it could be down here."

"I don't understand...."

I looked back at him, smiling mischeviously.

"I mean the way they can't hear us down here. We can do anything we want, and they'd be none the wiser."

"What kinds of things?" He asked, voice dropping an octave as he shifted his stance slightly.

"Anything. That's the fun of it."

He cocked his head and smiled at me.

"You really like it down here, don't you?"

"Mmmhmm," I nodded, starting in on my lip again.

"Then it's yours."

"What do you mean?"

"The room. You can have it," he shrugged.

"What?? No, no I couldn't just take it from you, it's yours..."

He rolled his eyes, pushed away from the wall, and started to walk over.

"How about this then..."

He stopped right before me, and leaned in slightly.

I swear my heart started beating again.

"Why don't we share it?"

"Share it?"

"Yes. It could be like... Our own little secret. A place just between the two of us."

"A secret quiet room," I grinned, my eyes lighting with wonder. "I like the sound of that."

"Then it's settled. This is _our_ place."

"_Ours_."


	5. Edward Bites Bella?

I spent nearly all of my time in our basement with Edward.

Watching him play, trying help him with the mysterious song he refused to go into detail about... He wouldn't even play what he had done so far, but did promise that I could hear it when it was finished.

And he promised to teach me how to play an instrument.

The only time we left was to hunt.

I think the family was getting a little concerned.

They sent Emmett down to spy on us sometimes, but after awhile he gave up, saying we were too boring.

Oh well...

And now, today is the day Edward will be my teacher.

I'm going to learn to play guitar.

"Alright, so pick up the guitar, and hold it like this. Right... And place your hands over... Wait, your fingernails aren't clipped."

"So?"

"So," he chuckled, "you can't play unless they are."

I looked down at my hands and frowned.

_But I always keep my nails long..._

"Will they grow back?"

He winced.

"I'll take that as a no."

"I'm sorry, Bella. It would just be too difficult to play with long nails like that... Perhaps I could teach you something else?"

"No, I want to play the guitar," I pouted.

He shook his head in disbelief.

"Go get some clippers," I said with determination, setting down the guitar and holding out my hands, wiggling my fingers a bit.

"It will be a little more complicated than that, I'm afraid. Normal clippers aren't strong enough for... us."

"Oh."

I wrinkled my nose in confusion.

"So then what will we use?"

"I'm not sure."

He placed a hand over his chin thoughtfully.

"You always bite them."

"No way! I couldn't do that..."

"I don't quite see what else will work. Our bodies are too strong, not many machines could do the job properly. Perhaps we could try an axe...?"

I flinched and shoved my hands into my jean pockets, not liking that idea at all, and so trying to protect my hands from it.

"No, I don't like the sound of that. No weapons, or heavily machinery."

"The only other way I could think of at the moment is chewing them. It's one clear way, as you are surely strong enough to remove something off of your own body, in the same way as when you were human. Only more so now."

"But... I don't want to do it myself. I was never one to bite my nails, it's almost like a sort of phobia... I can't stand the thought of it," I shivered.

He grew serious then, thinking over his response for a minute before giving it.

"Would you like me to do it for you?"

"You want to bite my fingernails?" I asked in disbelief.

He smiled slightly, suddenly looking very bashful.

"If it would help you."

I began to gently chew on my lower lip nervously, thinking over my answer.  
_  
Wouldn't that be sort of awkward?_

But I really want to play guitar.

The sound would go beautifully with the piano.

We could spend our days playing together, so it would be another thing for us to share...

So then it's either this, or... the axe.

"Okay," I nodded, thrusting my hands out towards him. "Get it over with."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Just do it."

"They won't grow back. You'll have to live with short nails for the rest of your existence."

"At least i'll be able to play the guitar for just as long."

"Very well."

He took a deep breath and held one of my hands, bringing it up to his mouth.

_I can't watch!_

This is just too odd!

So I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath, trying not to think about the fact that Edward had his mouth on me.

And the way that it made me feel all... weird inside.

I could feel some slight tugs on each finger as he made his way through them all, followed by the soft _plinks_ as the bitten-off pieces of my nails hit the floor.

_This is so morbid._

"Almost done," he whispered.

I just nodded.

Then suddenly I heard the door crash open, followed by loud footsteps.

"Hey guys, we're going out to - WOAH mama!!" Emmett bellowed, followed by some very hard laughter. "Did I interrupt something?

I jumped backwards until I came in contact with the wall, my eyes flinging open.

Edward was frozen in place, mouth still hanging open, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights.

"What do you want, Emmett?" I stuttered, trying helplessly to keep some sort of composure.

"I just wanted to let you guys know that the whole family is going hunting. You know, Carlisle's whole family bonding time thing."

He smiled oddly and waggled his eyebrows.

"But I can see you're already bonding down here. Should I tell him you're not going?"

"No, we'll go."

"Cool. You can finish up down here later," he winked, turning around and running up the stairs in a flash before I could make any sort of defensive remark.

"Uh... Edward?"

He slowly turned his head to me, the same expression on his face.

"Yeah?"

"I guess this means we're going hunting."

* * *

  
Throughout the whole trip, both Emmett and Alice just kept on smiling at Edward and I, and then looking at each other with a chuckle.  
_  
I don't know how Alice knew. Why would Emmett only tell her, and not everybody else?_

Maybe she can also read minds, like Edward.

I'll have to ask him about that once we get back home.

"So," Emmett started on the way back, stretching his arms out and shooting me an odd look. "Will we be seeing more of you and Edward when we get home, or are you two lovebirds going to fly right back downstairs?"

Alice smacked him in the back of the head.

Edward snarled.

"Shut it, Em!" He hissed, getting into a defensive position in front of me.

"Be nice," Esme scolded. "I don't want this forest being destroyed, you know it's one of my favorite places to hunt."

"Sorry," Emmett nodded, shamefaced.

Edward grinned smugly at him.

"Edward," Carlisle warned, shooting him a pointed look.

"Emmett started it," he grumbled, turning to give me an apologetic smile.

I just looked down at my feet the rest of the way home, not wanting to see the glare Rosalie was giving me, and the knowing smiles Emmett and Alice had.

Right when we got back I flew down the stairs, slamming the door shut right after Edward entered.

"I'm terribly sorry about that, Bella. I didn't intend to make a scene. Emmett just doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut..."

"No, it's fine. Embarrassing, but fine. I'm over it."

I held out my hand, the one that still had a remaining long nail.

"Let's just get this over with, and not look back."

He raised a brow curiously.

"And afterwards, maybe I should go upstairs. Spend more time with the family, so they can just stop assuming things and we can put it all behind us."

"Yes," he nodded, a flash of something going through his eyes before he suddenly grew serious. "That would be best. I'll do this as fast as I can."

So then he strode over, grabbed my hand, held it up to his face, and tore the remaining nail off of my finger.

I hissed and recoiled away from him, clutching the hand protectively to my chest as pain shot through my hand.

"What the hell?!" I growled, feeling venom slowly start to run down my arm from the finger.

His eyes widened and he took a few large steps back, as if afraid to be near me.

"I'm so sorry, Bella! I... I don't know what that was, I don't know what came over me... I'm sorry!"

The incredible pain I saw all over his face scared me.

"No... It's fine, really. It doesn't hurt..."

I took a step towards him, suddenly feeling the need to comfort him, protect him from the pain.  
_  
It was only a fingernail..._

"Don't," he whispered, holding a hand up, signaling me to stop. "Just don't."

And with that he flung the door open and ran up the stairs.


	6. Bella Puts On Her Brave Face

Edward hadn't spoken to me in three weeks.

_Three weeks._

Well, aside from a brief "_hello_" now and then when we crossed paths.

It was starting to worry me.  
_  
Had I done something wrong?_

_Something to upset him?_

He wouldn't even go hunting with me any more.

I would always just go with Carlisle, or Esme, or Alice.

Jasper didn't seem comfortable enough to go out alone with me, he'd just tag along when I went with Alice sometimes.

Though I could tell he was warming to me.

We were on the verge of being good friends.

We'd bonded over music after Edward started to give me the silent treatment.

_Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Rush, KISS, Foreigner...._

_He has some good taste._

But though I do enjoy hanging out with him, I have to admit...

_I'm missing Edward like crazy._

I know it would have to be me that makes the first move, since though he does stare at me a lot, he also seems to be doing all he can to avoid me.

_But before I do anything, I should probably ask someone for help..._

_Advice._

So I found Alice, dragged her away from Jasper, and took a deep breath.

"I want to be friends with Edward again."

She just smiled and nodded, as if expecting this all along.

"I was waiting for you to break."

"Oh, great," I muttered sarcastically.

"Don't worry. I can help."

"You can? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I had to wait for you to be ready. You can't force love."

I think my eyes bugged out of my head at that.

"_Love_??"

She just nodded, as it were the most normal thing in the world to say.

"No. Not love. _Friends_. Edward and I are _friends_. Hell, we're not even that...."

"Not yet. But you will be."

"I don't understand, Alice. What have you seen?"

She shook her head and sighed, seemingly torn about something, something she was thinking or about to say...

"I probably shouldn't have said anything. I don't suppose you'd be willing to just forget what I've said?"

"No."

"I didn't think so."

She paused.

"We'll just start with the friend thing then, alright?"

"Yeah," I nodded, taking a deep breath, trying to clear that little four letter word from my head. "Friend. So what do I do?"

"Well, I can't give you step by step instructions, or promise that everything will go perfectly. At least, not yet. But I can give you tips, advice... Fill you in on Edward's mindset so you can help yourself."

"Okay..."

"First thing's first - Edward is a very complicated person. I've lived with him for many years, and still don't know for certain what or how he things. But I have been able to gather a very good idea, based on experience."

"So what do I do?"

"Patience," she giggled. "Now, based on the way he's been acting, I'd say he's feeling guilty about something. He's taking it out on himself by separating himself from you. He likes you, I'm sure of it. So he isn't doing this to upset _you_... My advice is that you should make Edward aware that you aren't mad at him. Let him know, so he'll get over himself, stop being so afraid of what you think of him."

"I... I didn't think I was giving off bad signals or anything, I just..."

"It isn't anything you've done," she assured, placing a hand on my shoulder. "It's just what he thinks. He's placing all of this unnecessary blame on himself."

"So... So that's it then, I just talk to him, tell him I'm not upset... And everything will be better?"

She closed her eyes for a minute - probably more than just a minute, it's been harder to keep track of time since I've changed.

Then she opened them and smiled, giving a slight nod.

"Yes. Things will be more normal between you two, I can feel it."

"Thank you, Alice," I said with a sigh of relief.

She pulled me in for a hug, which I probably should have been expecting, but still wasn't.

"It's my pleasure."

She pulled back and nudged me forward, towards the basement where Edward had been hiding out.

"Now go get him."

I slowly began to inch my way to the door, suddenly growing very nervous.

"You're... sure... he won't get all mad at me or anything like that? He looked upset when he first started to ignore me..."

"Yes. He was mad at himself. He wants to be your... _friend_... but he doesn't feel he's worthy enough."

I looked over my shoulder at her curiously.

"How do you know all of this? I mean, you can't read his mind...."

"I just know him," she stated proudly. "As I've said, after spending so many years with a person, you begin to gain a pretty good understanding of them."

"Okay... But if he really is mad at me, I'm taking it out on you."

She just giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Sure."

* * *

I slowly opened the basement door and peeked in.

_No music._

_So what's he doing?  
_  
I walked inside and softly shut the door behind me, careful to make as little noise as possible.

Whatever he was doing, I didn't want to interrupt.

Make him upset.

"Edward?" I whispered.

I noticed some movement at the far corner of the room.

"Is that you?"

He crept out from the shadows, looking very cautious.

"Bella," he aknowledged, giving a very brief nod.

"I... I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

"No," he responded quickly, making me jump a little in surprise. "No. Not at all."

He took a small step forward.

So did I.

"So..." He started, darting his hands into his jean pockets uncomfortably.

"I'm not mad!" I blurted out.

He did a double take.

"I'm sorry?"

"I-I'm not mad. At you. Or... Anything. I'm not."

He furrowed his brow in confusion.

I wanted to reach out and touch it.

"Well, I haven't exactly been much of a gentleman," he responded bitterly, still looking confused.

He seemed to be gauging my reaction, as if testing me or something.

"On the contrary, you've been nothing but."

"No, Bella, I haven't - "

"You _have_. I'm not upset with you. And even if I was, it would only be because you stopped speaking to me."

He frowned and looked down at his feet.

I took another step closer.

"I'm sorry. I was only trying to do what's right."

"By ignoring me?"

He looked up, suddenly seeming frightened, and took two steps forward.

"I didn't think you would care, honestly. I never intended to harm you. Please... I know I shouldn't ask this of you, but..."

The look of pain of his face caused me to inwardly cringe.

I cleared the space between us in a few long strides.

"You don't even have to ask. I forgive you."

I could see the hope flash through his features before he managed to cover it up.

"Are you sure?"

I just nodded, and reached out to take one of his hands into my own.

I half expected him to recoil away, but, thankfully, he just looked down at our joined hands at let a little smile slip through.

"Thank you, Bella."

* * *

We spent the rest of the day down there.

Edward played me every song he could think of off the top of his head, and then asked me for suggestions.

I challenged him to try _In A Gadda Da Vida_, and he managed to pull it off surprisingly well.

"I had no idea you were an Iron Maiden fan," I laughed. "And the fact that you took the time to learn to play it on the piano? That's even better."

"What can I say?" He shrugged, grinning proudly while gazing down at his hands. "I can do anything."

"Anything?"

"Try me."

"Okay, you've asked for it. Can you play _Puttin' On The Ritz_, by - "

"Taco?" He finished with a bored sigh. "You've no idea how many times people thought they could trump me with that one."

"Damn it," I laughed, nudging him playfully with my shoulder. "So you really do know everything."

"And you had your doubts," he scoffed.

"I guess I just keep forgetting how long you've had to learn so much. I've only had nineteen years."

His gaze hardened minutely then, and he turned to face me.

"So that's how old you are..."

"I thought I'd mentioned it before."

"No. I would have remembered."

"Well... Hey, it's nothing to be upset about," I shrugged, hoping to keep things lighthearted so the '_moody silent Edward_' wouldn't emerge again.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he whispered.

I began to chew on my bottom lip nervously, trying desperately to think of something to make him feel better.

_After all, it's not like he did anything wrong._

_Right?_

I slowly reached over and wrapped my arm around his shoulder, hoping the contact would help ease his worries.

But he just shied away from my touch with a wince, as if I'd burned him.

My instincts told me to just back off, but Alice's words just kept ringing in my head.

"_It isn't anything you've done. He's placing all of this unnecessary blame on himself..._"

So I put on my Brave Bella face and kept my arm in place, tugging him closer to me.

He looked frightened almost, that deer in the headlights look.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for."

He stared at me for the longest time, as if having some deep internal struggle.

And that's when I noticed it.

"When was the last time you went hunting?"

"I don't remember. Why, are you thirsty? Should we go now?"

"No, it's just... Your eyes, they're so dark. Black almost. As if you haven't eaten in weeks..."

His eyes tightened and he just looked down at the keys of the piano with a shrug.

"You haven't," I hissed, glaring at him. "You haven't hunted in weeks, have you? Not since that day..."

"It doesn't matter. What would you like me to play next?"

"Edward!"

He stood up suddenly and began to pace around.

"It isn't any of your concern, Bella," he growled.

I got up and ran over, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him up against the wall.

"Yes it is! You can't do this to yourself, torture yourself for no reason, I won't let you!"

"Stop," he hissed.

I shook my head no, and continued to stare him down.

His features slowly began to soften.

"Stop," he pleaded, much quieter than before.

"We're going hunting. Now, before this gets any worse."

He took a long, deep breath and nodded in defeat.

I grinned smugly and released my grip of his shoulders.

He winced.

"What?" I asked with concern, suddenly frightened that I'd actually hurt him.

"Nothing. You're just a lot stronger than I would have expected."

"I'm sorry..."

"Oh no," he chuckled. "If I'm not allowed to be sorry for anything, than neither are you."

I just rolled my eyes and grabbed his hand, leading us upstairs.


	7. Admissions

And so I took Edward out hunting.

He caught three deer, and complained about how boring the taste was.

We argued about it the whole way home.

Once we entered the house, I noticed Alice give me an odd grin.

I smiled back in appreciation.

"She's protecting her thoughts," Edward grumbled. "What was that?"

I just shrugged and led him down the stairs, ignoring Emmett's kissing noises.

"Now what was that about?"

"Emmett just being childish?" I shrugged.

He stared at me for a moment then let out a surprisingly loud laugh.

"Well, that does sound like Emmett."

I found myself smiling at the sound of his laughter.  
_  
It's been too long._

"So, what would you like to do now?" He asked casually, leaning against the wall.

"Hmmm... Well, what would you like to do?"

His eyes tightened.

"Probably nothing you'd like."

"Oh..."

_That was odd._

"Do you... want me to leave?"

"No," he said quickly, pushing away from the wall to walk over to me. "Not in the least. I enjoy spending time with you."

"Then what would you like to do?" I asked, holding his gaze intently, unable to ignore the weird feeling in the air around us.

"As I said," he started, leaning in slightly, his voice turning to a whisper, "it's probably nothing you'd like."

"You won't know unless you tell me," I stuttered, still refusing to break eye contact.

He just continued to lean in, almost like he was testing my reaction.

I had no idea what in the hell was going on, but there was no way I was going to question it.

_Is he about to do what I think he's about to do?_

_Do I want him to?_

_How would that affect our friendship?_

My breath hitched as I took note of how close he now was to my face.

I could feel his warm breaths, smell his scent all around me.  
_  
And I... like it?  
_  
I began to instinctively inch myself closer to him, while tilting my head slightly to the side.

"Show me," I whispered, enjoying the way he shivered afterward.

"Are you sure? It may not be want you want."

"You don't know what I want."

"Exactly."

"Then let me show you."

With that I closed the distance between us, pressing my lips gently against his.

And it felt nice.

_Really_ nice.

It was almost as if I had started levitating, it was such a high.

_How had I not noticed this before?_  
_  
This incredible energy that is always to be found in the room when we were together..._

I hadn't experienced anything like this in either of my lives.

It's like I had just... come home.  
_  
All of this from one simple little kiss?_

I didn't think it was possible.

I quickly reached my hands up and shoved them into his hair, letting out a little mewl of satisfaction at finally getting those copper locks between my fingers.

His eyes widened in surprise.

He must not have been expecting such an accepting reaction.

I just smiled against his lips and began to apply more pressure to them.

He let out an odd little growl and did the same, following it by taking my bottom lip into his mouth and gently sucking on it.

By body thrummed with an exciting tingle, and I let out an odd little noise that can only be described as part moan, part purr.

I never wanted it to end.

But it did.

He, all too soon, pulled away and gave me an adorable crooked grin.

"I've wanted to do that for so long."

"You have?" I panted, only then realizing how embarrassingly erratic my breathing had become.

He just chuckled and placed a soft kiss on my nose.

"Yes, I most certainly have."

"Incredible," I smiled, in awe at the still swirling electricity around us.

"It really was."

He got this faraway look in his eyes then.

After a couple of seconds he let out a very loud laugh and began to shake his head.

"I don't believe it."

"What? What happened?"

"Alice, she saw. She knew it was going to happen, and now she's being very smug about the whole thing."

I froze then, remembering what she had told me earlier.

_Love._

Edward and I... _Love..._

Could that actually be true?

I'd never thought of such a thing happening, we were only friends after all, but now...

I guess it could be a possibility.

_I'd never felt this way towards somebody before._

_Ever._  
_  
This tingle, this static, this charge..._

It was all so new and exciting.

Is this what Alice had seen?

"Bella? Are you alright?" Edward asked, bringing a hand up and placing it on my cheek.

I automatically leaned into his palm, and gave him a huge, dopey grin.

"Definitely."

He frowned then, and his eye started to twitch.

_Huh?_

"What is it?"

He didn't say a thing.

Instead, he just walked over to the door and flung it open.

"Emmett!! Could you please stop thinking so loud?!"

All I heard before the door was slammed shut was Emmett making kissing noises.

Edward snarled and picked up the piano with one hand, setting it carefully down in front of the door.

"You are aware that wouldn't keep them out, right?"

"Of course," he laughed. "It's only for show, so Alice knows to tell everyone to let us be."

"Ahhh. Nice."

His eyes narrowed again.

"You aren't uncomfortable with this... right? Just say the word, and i'll move it so you can get upstairs - "

"I'm perfectly happy where I am."

He just nodded and crossed his arms.

"So... I suppose we should discuss what has just happened?"

I froze up.

"Why?"

"Well..." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair nervously.

_He seems to do that a lot around me._

_I love it._

"I don't want it to harm things between us. If it's something you wish to... forget."

My eyes widened.

He flinched.

"Why? Is it something you didn't want to happen?" I stuttered, afraid of how fast things had gone from great to weird.

"Not in the least. I've never felt anything so incredible in all of my existence."

"Neither have I."

"So there's no regrets?"

"Not for me."

"You're certain?"

"Positive."

He let out a huge breath I hadn't even realized he'd been holding in.

"Good, that's good."

"Good," I smiled, thankful that at least he seemed more relieved now, and so there was a good chance that brooding Edward would not resurface.

"So... Hm."

"Hm," I mimicked, causing him to crack a smile.

"I truly do like you, Bella," he whispered, walking over and taking my hands into his own. "I never thought I could feel this way about a person before."

"Stop being so damn sweet, now everything I have to say will pale in comparison," I pouted.

"I highly doubt that."

"Fine," I huffed, bringing our hands up to my face, enjoying the contact while trying to think of something romantic to say. "I'm glad that...whatever happened to me happened, because it led me to you."

"Don't say that," he growled, his features hardening. "Ever."

"I... I don't get it."

"How could you possibly feel that losing your soul, having your whole life stolen from you for nothing, is a good thing? You don't deserve this, Bella. To know this kind of hell."

I winced and let go of his hands with an annoyed little squeak.

"I'm grateful because it led me to you! Who knows if we ever would have even crossed paths had my change not occured? It was worth it, it will always be worth it, so don't tell me how you think I should be feeling!"

"I'm terribly sorry to feel such remorse for what you've been through," he muttered sarcastically. "Shall I just lie next time, say that I'm glad you've become a monster like me? I'm not that selfish."

"You're not a monster."

"You don't know me."

He leaned in close, staring so hard into my eyes I swear it would leave bruises.

"You have no idea who I am. The things that I've done. You know nothing of my past, Bella. You don't know me."

"I know_ this_ you, the _real_ you. I know enough to see how good a person you really are, if only you'd believe it yourself."

"I never asked you to believe in me. As a matter of fact, I really wish you wouldn't."

"Well too bad, because I do."

"Don't."

I pouted.

He rolled his eyes.

"Fine. You know I wish that you wouldn't, and that's good enough I suppose."

"Good."

"Good," he said as a hint of his crooked grin appeared. "Now... Before I do something I regret, I believe I'd better do something to distract myself."

"Huh?"

He walked over and picked up one of the guitars from a row that was leaning against the wall, then coming back to hand it off to me.

"I believe I owe you a few lessons."

I smiled and took the guitar from him, placing the straps around myself the way he'd showed me before.

"Very good," he said proudly. "I see you were paying attention."

"Just a little..."

* * *

By the end of the night, I was already sounding like a professional.

I couldn't help but take note of the smug grin on Edward's face as I completed _House Of The Rising Sun_ and set the guitar back on its stand.

"Impressive."

"Well, I had a good teacher."

"A teacher is only as good as his student."

"Well... I... Damn, you're quick with words."

He tossed his head back and let out a loud bark of a laugh.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"I'm sorry, Bella," he grinned, still continuing to let out little chuckles. "You're just so... silly sometimes."

"Is that a nice way of calling me stupid?"

"Now I'm not going to dignify that with a response," he sighed, shaking his head.

"But you just responded right there."

He just rolled his eyes.

"I meant aside from that."

I walked over to the piano then, and sat down at the bench.

He followed, sitting down beside me.

I tried to ignore the tingles as our arms brushed.

"Would like to learn to play?"

"No, no, piano is your thing."

He rolled his eyes again.

"It's not like I invented the piano, Bella."

"But you're so good at it... And nobody else in the family can play. So it's something that's yours."

"You wouldn't want it to be ours?"

"We have the guitar. I want to let you have the piano."

"If you you wish," he shrugged. "But I really wouldn't mind teaching you."

He placed his hands over the keys, pressing down on a few.

I smiled as the notes rang through the air.

"What are you going to play?"

"Just a little something I've been working on."

I watched in silence as his hands glided across the keys, enjoying a beautiful melody that began to fill the room.

It was some a song I wasn't familiar with, really.

It almost sounded like his mystery song, that I'd heard little bits and pieces of before.

I inched closer to him.

His hands faltered momentarily, and he cleared his throat.

"Sorry," I whispered.

The tune began to grow darker and darker, and then picked up considerably.

I knit my brows in confusion as it came to an end, the notes fading away.

He placed his hands on his lap and glanced over at me.

"It isn't quite finished yet..."

"What's it about?"

"You."

"Me??"

He nodded.

"But... It was so beautiful..."

"Exactly," he chuckled. "I've composed it based on how I see you. Our relationship..."

"I'm guessing you put that dark part together during these past few weeks."

"Yeah," he muttered sheepishly. "Though it was mostly my own self-hatred that made it in there. I should probably cut it down a little."

"And what about that last part? It sounded.... Well, quite a bit cheerier."

"I kind of just went with how I'm feeling now. With you."

"Really?"

He nodded.

"That's so.... um, amazing," I stuttererd, wincing at my inability to have a good vocabulary.

"I guess."

"It is. It was really beautiful, Edward. I just can't believe how I could move you to create something like that."

"What can I say? You bring things out in me that I've never felt before."  
_  
If I had the ability to cry, my face would be soaked right now..._

I just leaned in and pressed my lips up against his, having suddenly felt this intense need to be close to him.

Then I did something that, looking back on it, I really shouldn't have...

"I love you," I whispered.

His eyes grew wide, and he glared down at me.

"No!" He roared, getting up from the chair and flying away from me. "_NO_!!"

* * *

**Dun dun dunnn!!!**

**What is Edward so upset about? You'll find out in the next chapter. :)**

**Sorry to leave you hangin', but don't worry, I'm already putting together the next chapter. It'll be done soon, probably a few days? Or less.  
**


	8. Edward Drops The Big Bomb

"I-I'm sorry..."

"Bella, no," he growled, placing his hands against the wall and leaning into it. "No, no, no..."

"What??"

"You can't love me. It isn't right, I won't let you do that to yourself."

"I-I can't really help it... I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry!"

"Well then tell me what I should be feeling, because you're really starting to confuse me!"

He sped over and grabbed me by the shoulders, glaring deep into my eyes.

"You. Don't. Love. Me."

"But... I do?"

"NO!"

I flinched.

He released me and flew to the other side of the room.

"I-I don't understand what this whole big deal is! I know you have some self confidence issues, but - "

"No. That isn't it."

"Then what???"

"You can't love me because you don't know who I am. What I've done."

"I don't care. I love the you that I know."

"Fine. That's... fine. But you don't love the _real_ me."

"You can't know that..."

"But I do. It's you who doesn't know anything."

"Then tell me!! Tell me what this whole big deal is, so we can just get it the hell out of the way!!!"

"It was me!" He roared punching a huge hole into the wall. "I did it, it's my fault! You can't love me!"

"What... What's your fault?!" I shrieked, not really sure what any of this had to do anything.  
_  
What could he have possibly done that would make me not love him?_

_He isn't making any sense._

He walked over to me at a human pace, and glared down at me, his nostrils flaring from the unnecessarily deep breaths he was taking.

"You really don't remember, do you? Hm?"

"Remember what!?"

"That day. In the woods. What I did to you."

"I... I don't understand..."

"It was me, Bella. I'm the reason you are what you are at this moment. It's my fault."

And with that, he tore up the stairs without a single glance back.

I stood in place for a few minutes, the gist of what he said slowly registering in my brain.

I slowly walked up the stairs after him, with a look of sheer confusion plastered on my face, to find the front door wide open and the whole family - minus Edward - staring back at me.

"I'm so sorry," Alice whispered, looking close to tears.

Jasper had his arm wrapped around her, looking as though he was concentrating hard on something.

"Give it a rest," Emmett sighed towards him. "It won't work. Everyone's just too bummed out."

"I can at least try," Jasper hissed, shooting him a glare.

"Boys," Esme chastised.

"Is... is what Edward said true? I-I don't understand..."

"I'm sorry," Alice repeated. "It's true. It all happened so fast, I-I never got the chance to stop him..."

"Don't," Jasper whispered to her, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "You can't put any of the blame upon yourself. There's nothing anybody could have done."

"But you guys eat animals!" I shouted suddenly. "So... So why would he have... done that to me? Haven't you been all controlled for hundreds of years??? It-it couldn't have been him!"

"It was," Alice sighed, staring intently at me with her eyes all wide and apologetic. "I saw it myself. And, in a way, we all did."

"Huh?"

"His eyes," Carlisle chimed in.

"What about them?"

"The color changes for our kind, depending on our diet. Now, when we stick strictly to animals, our eyes stay a light brown. But when we feed on humans... They turn red. It's really quite noticeable. I could tell the moment he arrived home on that day, what he'd done..."

_I never noticed that..._

_The way his eyes were different from everyone else when we first met._

_It just didn't seem significant...  
_

"I... I don't believe it. He couldn't have, he's not that sort of person - "

"Person?" Rosalie scoffed. "Get out of the fantasy world. None of us are people. _Human_. We're animals, this is what we do. Don't act so surprised."

"Rosie..." Emmett started, rubbing the back of his head anxiously.

She just shrugged.

"Somebody has to talk some sense into the girl. She has to learn sometime."

"Shut up!" I snarled. "Just shut up! You don't know anything, none of you do! He wouldn't have done this!"

Esme walked over to me very slowly, slower than a human pace, as if testing me.

"Bella, dear... As much as I truly wish there was a different explanation, I'm afraid there isn't. What's done is done, and Edward feels just horrible about the whole thing. It was just one moment of weakness, that's all it ever takes."

"No."

"Bella..."

"No," I whimpered, staring helplessly out the open door.

I couldn't look at them.

Not for one more second.

So I ran up the stairs to our bedroom and closed the door, flinging myself on to the couch and draping an arm over my eyes.

_It's his fault._

**EPOV**

_I'm coward._

_A filthy, lowlife little coward._

Bella deserves more, so much more, more than I could ever possibly give her.

Someone who had enough self control to refrain from feeding off of her, and leaving her to die.

_She can't love me._

So I ran.

Away from her, away from the house, away from everything.

Not caring if anyone saw me run past, my skin glittering in the sunlight...

I just didn't give a damn.

I couldn't let Bella see me, to grow more attached to me than she already is - if she is still willing to even look at me, that is.  
_  
My family will understand._

_It isn't like this is the first time I've run away._

They know i'll return.  
_  
They know._

I ran until nightfall, deciding then that I should find a nice place to be alone with all my self loathing thoughts.

I settled upon a very Norman Bates-ish looking motel, renting out a room that could only be described as unsanitary.

_This must be the one place that every sick porno in existence was filmed._

_And nobody cleaned up after themselves._

I couldn't have possibly asked for better.

* * *

_Three months.  
_  
That's how long I spent in that rat infested hell hole.

Three months alone to fester all of the hatred I felt towards myself.

Only once during that time did I bother to hunt.

_Whatever town I'm in, I feel sorry for the little creatures._

Their blood was some of the worst I'd ever tasted.

And that's after having been starving myself for two weeks.

_I don't even want to know the kind of filth they survive on._

Anyways, on the third week I was disrupted from my daily routine - laying on the ground, my face against the putrid carpeting, thinking over what I'd done like a good boy - by a phone call.

I answered, figuring it was just some of the staff getting worried about me or something, since I never let the cleaning ladies in.

"What," I mumbled into the phone.

"Edward," Alice responded eagerly. "Thank God, I finally found the right motel..."

"What do you want."

"Hey, don't take that tone with me!" She whined.

I could practically see her pouting face.

"Aren't you happy I called?"

"Do I sound happy?"

"Fine. Be sulky."

"State your purpose, please."

"I'm just calling to ask when you'll be coming home..."

"You've got the gift. Just see for yourself."

"I'm sick of looking at that pitiful picture!"

"I guess you'll just have to wait for it to change then."

"Edward.... We miss you. All of us."

"Not all of you," I whispered, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration.

"But we do - "

"No. Not Bella."

"Edward..."

"Just tell me she's not upset with me anymore. Tell me she wants me to come home."

_Silence._

"That's what I thought."

So with that I hung up the phone, not allowing myself to feel the small amount of joy I got at having contact with my family again.

Back to my previous business.

But there was a knock on the door then.

_Damn cleaning ladies._

_Haven't they gotten it through their fat heads yet - I'm not letting them in!_

_Maybe I should just teach them a lesson._

_Why not?_

_I've already done the worst thing imaginable._

_What's one more body to the list._

So I moved the bed away from the door and flung it open.

"Edward..."

**

* * *

**

**Dun dun dunnn! So, who is it that's paying our Eddie a visit? Find out in the next chapter of this now soap opera-ish story. xDD**

**------  
**

**And to those who have been asking for the outtake chapter of Intern And The Vampire -- I'm SO sorry for the wait. I've just never had such an overabundance of responses before, it's insanity! But I'm doing my best to respond to each and every one of you.**

**Though I kind of have to ask... If you could post a review to IATV, if you want the chapter. I can't send it in a PM, this site just won't let me. It seems to only work in response to reviews... I'm sorry if that's caused any problems... :(  
**


	9. Taking Action

**EPOV**

"Rosalie," I nodded. "I knew I should have listened before opening the door..."

She just huffed and crossed her arms, giving me her _annoyed_ face.

"Edward, come with me."

"I already told Alice, I'm not going back home. Not yet."

"Just quit being such a spoiled brat and follow me!"

I flinched at the way her voice reminded me of a howler monkey.

_Damn my weakened state..._

_I'm too tired to fight her off, the way I normally can.  
_

_Guess I should have hunted after all._

"Fine," I relented, both from the lack of strength and the overwhelming desire to get even just the slightest glimpse of my girl. "But if this upsets Bella in any way... it'll be your head."

"Whatever," she growled, grabbing me by the arm and tugging me to her little red BMW convertible. "What are you doing way out here anyway? It's disgusting," she shivered. "I feel like I need a shower after just stepping foot in here."

"I think you've just answered your own question."

"Oh, Edward," she sighed, looking at me all disappointed - but not at all surprised.

I just shrugged and got into the car.

She winced.

"What?" I asked with an annoyed groan, not liking the way she looked at me as though I was something she'd just scraped off her shoe.

"You're _so_ paying for my cleaning bill, Dirt Monkey."

* * *

We arrived home a few hours later.

I remained seated in the car, too afraid to move a muscle.

_She hates me._

_I can't face her._

_She won't want to see me._

_Why didn't I just jump out of the damn car when I had the chance...???_

"Come on," Rosalie sighed, opening the passenger side door and tugging me out.

"I don't understand why you're doing this! Bella doesn't want to see me, it will only make her more upset!! Is that what you want?! God, I knew you were a cold hearted bitch, but this is beyond - "

I was interrupted by her hand making connection with my face.

I hissed and brought a hand protectively up to my cheek, both loving and hating the sting.

"Would you just shut up for one second and do what you're told??"

"Fine," I growled, prying my arm out of her grasp and giving a dramatic shrug. "But you know that karma is going to come back and bite you in the ass over this..."

"That's the spirit," she sneered, flipping her hair over and shoulder and heading for the front door.

I followed, not wanting to hear her shrill voice any longer.

_Just be a good boy, Edward._

_Then she won't open her mouth any longer._

I decided to stop blocking the voices then.

_It will be easier to tell how Bella is feeling if I can just read Jasper's thoughts._

_He'd know better than anyone._

That's when I heard it.

_That selfish, selfish boy!_

Esme...

_I can't believe he'd just leave us like he did, leave Bella... I do hope Rosalie has been able to talk some sense in him. They've been gone an awful long while... I suppose they'll be home any moment now. Perhaps that was Rosie's car I just heard pull in? It must have been, I'd know that sound anywhere. I do hope she's managed to drag Edward back, I've missed him so much. And poor Bella, she's a complete wreck after all that's happened...  
_

I stopped.

Rosalie turned and glared at me.

"Now what?"

I brought both hands up into my hair, tugging at it roughly in frustration while squeezing my eyes shut.

"It's alright, Bella..."

_Alice!_

_She must be talking to Bella up in her room._

I concentrated on blocking out the other voices as best as I could, wanting to focus only on her voice.

"No. It's not," Bella replied bitterly. "I've said it a million times, he doesn't care about me. Why else would he have left?"

_Ouch._

_Damn, that one stung..._

_I knew she hated me for what I'd done to her._

_Nobody can love a monster._

"He has his reasons. Most of them stupid, sure, but in his mind they make sense. He thinks he's doing the right thing."

"Why, Alice? Why would he lie about what he did?"

_This is what you've left me to deal with, Edward._

A dry sob escaped me as I listened to Alice's harsh thoughts, and saw Bella through her eyes...

Her eyes were black, meaning she probably hasn't hunted in as long as I have, her hair was in nearly as much disarray as my own is on a daily basis, and I could just see it.

Could just tell.

_She's suffered._

_Suffered so, _so_ hard because of me._

_I truly am a monster._

**BPOV**

"What was that noise?" I wondered aloud, craning my neck to look out the window.

Alice was just silent.

_EDWARD!!_

I got up from my seat and darted down the stairs, flung the front door open, and ran to Edward's side.

He removed his hands from his hair and looked up at me all surprised, like he really wasn't expecting me to be sitting right there beside him.

Which he probably wasn't.

"Bella?" He croaked, still as a statue, as if afraid to scare me off with any sudden movements.

"I'm here..."

I, in a very bold move, took one of his hands into my own, holding it tightly so he wouldn't be able to pull it away.

"Are you alright?"

He let out a humorless chuckle.

"I really should be asking you the same thing."

"But your eyes.... You haven't been hunting..."

"And you have?"

I flinched, ashamed that he'd caught me.

"Bella," he whispered harshly. "You really need to be taking care of yourself. I refuse to allow you to starve like this."

"What, but it's okay for you to?"

"I'm not the one who matters here."

"You matter to me."

He closed his eyes and hung his head.

"I don't understand, Bella. You can't care about me. Not after what I've done to you."

"But I do."

He glanced up at me, a very faint trace of hope glittering in his eyes.

"I just... I don't... How?" He sputtered.

_So damn adorable._

"Because I do."

"But Bella, I stole your life away from you - "

"And gave me a better one."

His nose crinkled up in confusion as he tried to make sense of my statement.

"Edward, I don't even remember much of my old life. But from what I do remember, it wasn't very good. My mother is dead... I hardly ever saw any of my father. I didn't have any friends, at least not any significant enough to stand out in my thoughts... I spent all of my time alone, with my nose buried in a book. It was a boring, pointless life. But now... I've just been introduced to so many amazing things. I'm a part of a wonderful family that loves me, cares for me, spends more time with me than my own father ever did... And I found you. I found _love_. So I don't hate you for what you did. Not in the least. In a way, I... kind of love you more because of it."

"That just can't... Be possible... You can't..."

I could tell his defense was growing weaker and weaker.

He was going to crack.

_Silly Edward._

_We could have saved each other a lot of time and pain if you'd just sat down and listened to me._

I took his face in my hands and turned it so he was facing me, and looked him straight in the eye.

"I love you. You're the best thing to happen to me in both of my lives. I don't even care that you don't love me! All I know is that I love you, and nothing you've done, or ever _will_ do, will make me feel otherwise."

He took in a very long, deep breath then, causing me to let out an inward growl for having to wait so long for his response.

"I do love you, Bella."

I just rolled my eyes, ignoring the little flips my dead heart did at hearing those words.

"You-you don't have to say that, really, I know that you don't - "

But he interrupted me by leaning in and placing a very sweet, gentle kiss on my lips and smiling.

My entire body lit up in excitement at finally having this connection to him after so long.

"I truly do love you, Bella," he whispered as he slowly leaned back. "And don't you ever think otherwise."

"Okay," I nodded.

"Okay."

Behind us, a huge round of applause rang out.

I slowly turned around and saw the whole family on the front steps staring at us, all with proud smiles - even Rosalie.

_Which shouldn't surprise me as much as it does, after that weird talk she gave me yesterday._

_I guess I'm just still used to the old Rosalie._

"Finally!" Emmett whooped.

Rosalie smacked him in the back of the head.  
_  
Yup. That's what I'm used to.  
_  
"Have they been watching the whole time?" I whispered to Edward.

"Listening, is more like it. They didn't all come out until just a few seconds ago."

"Hey. Eddie. We're right here," Alice said in annoyance, with a little wave.

I waved back, not letting go of Edward's hands for fear of him doing something other than wave.

Alice hissed.

Rosalie laughed.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you both!" Esme exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly. "I'm so glad you were able to work things out!"

"Um... Thank you?" I mumbled, thankful for my inability to blush.

"Are they making you uncomfortable?" Edward whispered into my ear, so low I couldn't help but question whether or not anyone else was even able to hear it. "We can leave, if you'd like. Just say the word."

"You mean... Go somewhere with you? Alone?"

His eyes widened.

"Y-you don't have to, you can just go by yourself if you'd like, I'd completely understand - "

"I'd really like to go somewhere with you."

He gave me that crooked grin I'd grown to love so much.

"Let's go."

* * *

**So things have been resolved! Already, you ask? Well... I do plan to toss in just a little bit more drama before things end. So don't worry. I hope to at least make it to 15 chapters... Though there's no promises!**

**Thanks to those have reviewed. You are all so awesome in your own little ways.**

**:)  
**


	10. The Walk

**Let me start out by saying how I'm sorry for taking so long to update. :(**

**There's just been a lot of crap going on, family issues, my mom's been bugging me about doing more school, I was getting real lazy with video editing...**

**But the point is I've written more now. It's not very good, and it's a little short, but it was the best I could do at the moment.**

**Sorry. :((  
**

* * *

**BPOV**

And so we left the house, to get away from the watchful eyes of our family.

Just for a walk.

I'd never been happier to walk in all of my life.

"So," I started nervously, not sure how Edward would react to what I was about to ask. "Where exactly did you go?"

He avoided my gaze, tensing up ever so slightly.

"Honestly?"

I nodded.

"I'm not quite sure where it was. I just ran until finding the most horrid place you could possibly imagine, and stopped off at a motel."

I shouldn't have been surprised.

_He does look rather dirty..._

_He'd better change his clothes when we get home._

_Okay, Bella, stop picturing him changing his clothes!_

"What did you do there?" I stuttered, embarrassed at what had just run through my mind as the object of my daydreaming was standing right beside me.

"Not much, really. Just barricaded the doors to avoid the cleaning ladies and mentally attacked myself nonstop every day."

I frowned.

"Did you hunt _at all_?"

"Once," he shrugged, finally meeting my eyes sheepishly. "Only because I just couldn't handle it anymore. The pain was too overwhelming, I began to fear I'd do something unforgivable to the staff of the motel."

I sighed and slapped him on the back of the head.

He hissed and rubbed the spot in annoyance.

"Remember that next time you decide to go so long without hunting."

"I'm sorry."

He looked at me suspiciously, staring a little too hard into my eyes.

"What?" I asked, beginning to grow self conscious.

"I'm not the only one who barely hunted. Have you already forgotten that I noticed before we began our walk?"

_Oh._

_I _had_ forgotten._

He just chuckled.

"Then how about this - we'll both hunt. Right now, on this walk. That way there will be no more guilt on either of us."

"That sounds very fair."

"Good. You first."

"Why me first?"

"Chivalry isn't dead, my dear Bella."

"Right. But... what if I hunted more recently than you? It wouldn't be fair for me to get the first catch."

"Well we don't know that, do we? So you should go first."

"No."

"Bella..."

I crossed my arms and shook my head.

He pouted.

_Damn him!_

"Don't give me that look," I whined.

"Why?" He grinned. "Was it wearing down your resolve?"

"No."

He pouted again.

I cringed.

"Okay, fine! Yes, it's wearing down my resolve! I can't deny you anything when you look at me like that, so please stop."

He didn't stop.

I hung my head in defeat.

"Go find yourself something nice," he said with a smug grin.

* * *

After getting delightfully filled up on our hunt, we just continued our walk - with Edward having to go shirtless after making a mess of the bear he'd caught.

I pretended not to notice, all the while my mind was screaming at me to take him right out here in the wilderness like a wild animal.

_Control your inner beast, Bella._

_Tame that ferocious lioness in you into a purring kitten!_

He looked over at me with concern.

"Are you alright, Bella?"

"Fine," I squeaked.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

"I can tell there's something wrong, I can see it all over your face."

"There's nothing... wrong."

"Bella."

I groaned and covered my face with my hands.

"What, what is it?"

"You're not wearing a shirt!"

"Um... Yes, that's stating the obvious?"

"Y-you're just, I'm really..."

"What?"

_Damn this man!!_

I growled and shoved him roughly, effectively pushing him straight on to his ass on the ground.

I'm sure he would have looked shocked -- if I'd given him the chance.

I jumped on him, shoved my hands into his hair, and placed an all-too-urgent kiss on his lips.

His eyes widened, and then sparkled in realization.

He pulled away.

"It was driving you crazy that I'm not wearing my shirt, wasn't it?" He grinned.

I just nodded helplessly, refusing to remove my hands from his hair.

"It kind of still is," I admitted.

"So, this is your solution to that?"

I nodded again.

"Is that... okay? I didn't make you uncomfortable or anything, did I?"

"I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with it."

And with that, he rolled us over and pinned me to the ground.

_I should take walks more often._

* * *

We arrived home a few hours later, clothes all ruffled, covered in grass and dirt stains.

Alice was jubilant.

"Did you two have a good walk?" She asked, leaning back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"Yes," Edward replied curtly.

"What happened to your shirt?"

"We hunted."

"I thought it was Bella that was the messy eater," Emmett piped in, nudging Edward playfully in the ribs.

Edward shoved him away.

"You know I hadn't hunted in a long time, Em. I didn't have control of myself."

"Hey, I was only messing with you," Emmett laughed. "No need to be so defensive."

It looked like a light bulb clicked above his head then, like he just realized something big.

"Or... is there?"

He turned to Alice, eyebrows raised.

Edward glared at her in warning.

"No," she said in response to Emmett. "There's no reason for him to be defensive."

His face fell then.

"Ah. Well, that's alright. It's still early in the relationship - I mean, they only just got together a few hours ago!"

He slapped Edward on the back and grinned.

"Congrats, by the way. I'm so happy for the both of you."

"Thank you," I smiled.

_I think?_

He nodded, slapped us both on the back, gave a thumbs up, and trampled up the stairs.

Alice giggled.

"So I'm assuming you know?" I asked weakly.

She nodded.

"I blocked things out as quickly as I could, though. Don't worry."

"I still feel awkward," I admitted with a slightly high pitched laugh.

Edward took hold of one of my hands and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I didn't see a thing," Alice swore, holding a hand up to give the Scout's Honor sign. "Well... sort of."

"What's sort of?" Edward asked with a sigh, giving her an odd stare.

She remained silent, as Edward began concentrating beside me.

Alice then shrugged and crossed her arms.

"That's how much."

I turned to Edward.

"How much??"

He chuckled and began to walk me down to the basement.

"Let's just say she ended at a fairly appropriate time.

I let out a sigh of relief.

_Because, really..._

_I don't think I'd be able to look her in the eye if I knew she'd seen what we had done earlier.  
_  
"I feel the same way."

"Huh?"

He paused at the doorway to the basement and looked over at me.

"Oh... I was just thinking, about how I probably wouldn't ever be able to make eye contact with Alice if she'd seen what we'd just done," he said with a bashful little grin.

_God, I love that grin..._

"I thought you said you couldn't read my mind."


	11. An Unwelcome Surprise

**Okay... um... there's no excuse for taking so long to update. None that are reasonable, anyways... So I won't bother trying.**

**All I'll say is I'm sorry to all those that have actually taken an interest in the story.**

**I'm getting my butt into gear, so hopefully the updates will be coming more frequently now. Especially after the 3rd, when my semester ends and there will be quite a bit more free time.**

**Again, I'm sorry. :((**

**To make it up to y'all, I've got some surprise POV's for you, to start in with the drama I've been plotting out since the beginning. **

**And sorry in advance for any possible spelling errors. I wrote this all out pretty quick, and then was all frustrated when I couldn't log in the past few days... So...**

**So away we go!**

**

* * *

  
**

**APOV**

They had barricaded themselves in the basement for a full week, only emerging a couple of times to hunt.

Thankfully though, the visions stopped after awhile.

_Thank God I learned to tame my talent so many years ago..._

And so it was a lazy Saturday afternoon as I redecorated the bedroom while Jasper softly strummed his guitar.

_It's really been far too long._

_Everything has been out of style for months._

"Jazz, where do you think I should put this?" I asked, turning towards him while holding up the framed picture of all of us that was taken after Edward had returned.

He was silent, a sly grin in place as he allowed me to use my talent to see his response.

_On the wall right beside the door, where the light sends a perfect glow at dusk and dawn._

"Perfect!"

So I picked up a nail and pressed it into the wall with my thumb, before hanging the picture in it's destined spot.

"Thank you, Jazz," I said with a smile, bouncing over to place a kiss on his cheek.

And that's when it hit me.

I immediately froze as my eyes glazed over, the images flashing through my head like a hurricane.

_Blood._

_Blood everywhere._

_A man, his eyes black as coals as he stood over a lifeless body, his clothes torn, mouth drenched in scarlet._

_He carries an odd sense of... hate._

_Pure, raw hatred._

_He's plotting something._

_What is it?_

_A field, with a large pool of blood right in the middle._

_The man creeps out from the shadows, a look of sheer delight on his face._

_He's been waiting a long time for this._

_But... what?_

_What is it that he's been waiting for?_

But it was too late.

I was jolted back into reality, like someone had just punched me in the gut.

"Alice, what is it? What did you see?" Jasper asked, his hands clutching tightly on to mine as he drenched me in calm.

"A man... The blood, so much blood..."

"Did you recognize him, or where it all took place?"

"No... I-I saw a field. He was waiting for something there, meeting someone there... He's one of us, Jazz, but one of the bad kind."

"He feeds on humans."

"Frequently."

I shook my head, scanning my brain for more.

"He has blond hair. Long. The field, it looked familiar, close to here I think."

He nodded.

"I don't understand what he wants... he didn't say anything, not a word. I just have such a horrible feeling about this, Jazz! Something isn't right, we need to find him, find out his intentions..."

"It's alright, Alice. Everything will work itself out."

I let out a sigh of relief.

_Bless him and that warm, happy feeling he doses out at times like this._

"Thank you. I'm... I'm sure it was nothing anyways."

"Right. Probably just some rogue traveling through the area. We'll find him, make sure he doesn't hunt near here."

"Good. That's... good."

"Should we tell Edward?"

"I suppose we should. But we'll wait for him to come out of the basement. There's no way I'm going down there."

* * *

**JamesPOV**

A beautiful, dark, cloudy day.

Just the way pretty much every single day I've spent here has been.

_It's fantastic._

I walked into the gym in my tight shirt and sweatpants, quickly scanning the room for potentials.

_Damn._

_Every plus has a minus, I guess._

_There's hardly ever any even remotely attractive people in dinky towns such as this._

_At least some of the personal trainers are kind of nice._

_I'll just pick one of them out._

Just then I caught the eye of a tall blond made, who then made her way over, jutting her chest out ever so subtly.

_It's just too easy._

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" She asked in a sickly sweet voice.

I shot her my winning smile, trying hard not to gloat at the way she melted.

"Yes, I believe you can..."

* * *

_That was far too simple._

_Next time, I'm going for something more challenging._

_A fighter._

I drove away from the gym, after having made one last step inside to inform her coworkers she had made an abrupt exit, heading for a forest.

Any forest.

_Her blood wasn't even that good, _I thought bitterly, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

_She's had far too much work done._

_It's poisoned her blood stream._

_I might as well have just sunk my teeth into a mannequin._

That's when I spotted it.

A closed off trail.

_Perfect._

_I shouldn't come across any hikers, and have to dispose of them as well._

_The wench has caused me to lose my appetite, I couldn't possibly gorge any further..._

So I pulled in, tearing down the sign in my haste.

After a few miles, the terrain had grown too coarse.

I couldn't maneuver through it all any further.

So I put the rental car in park, got out and popped open the trunk, finding the drained corpse waiting for me.

_She really wasn't even all that pretty._

I simply picked up the body and tossed it carelessly to the ground.

And that's when I heard it.

A woman's scream.

I scanned the area, searching for the cause of it.

_Must only be about a mile off._

I ran to the sound, ditching the car and body after feeling oddly compelled to witness what it was that caused the woman to emit such a sound.

I soon found the cause.

A plain faced, brown haired girl laying beside a tree, blood running down her face - and a man, a vamp it seemed since I couldn't find a heartbeat, with crazy bronze hair.

The sight and scent of the innocent blood had caused my appetite to return with a vengeance.

_Such a sweet young girl._

_Completely untarnished.  
_

"Well lookey here," I muttered to myself, a sly grin emerging. "I've stumbled in on a hunt. Wonder if the boy will share."

But by the frenzied look in his eyes, and the way his breathing was abnormally accelerated, I had the feeling he wasn't about ready to share.

_Bingo_

Not two seconds had passed before he lunged in for the kill, the woman's screams dying off as he sucked her dry.

_Nice form._

_A little sloppy, but I suppose that's because of his eyes._

_An animal feeder._

_Must have been ages since he's tasted human blood._

_The poor bastard._

_Someone has tamed him._

I took a step forward carelessly, snapping a twig beneath my feet.

He quickly released the girl, taking a giant leap back into the shadows.

"What... what are you doing here?" He growled, reaching up to wipe the blood from his mouth, his pose overly defensive from the kill.

"Simply taking care of some personal business."

Another step.

"I see you're doing the same."

"You tell no one what you've seen here," he commands. "And you leave this town. Me and my family... We don't need anyone's interference."

I let out a loud chuckle at that.

"And just who in the hell do you think you are, speaking to me like that?"

"No one," he repeated. "Leave. _Now_."

I smirked.

He snarled.

_Got to respect the boy's boldness._

So I nodded, and backed off.

_But don't expect me to be gone for good,_ I thought with a sneer.

"Well I do," he hissed. "_Leave_."

_What the hell?_

_He must be one of those 'special' vamps._

_No way I'm getting caught up with a freak._

He snarled again.

_Fair enough._

_Until we meet again...  
_


	12. Bad News AN

I'm sorry everyone.

Really.

But... I need to put this story on temporary hiatus.

There's just too much crap to deal with, I won't get into it all right now. But long story short - my brother is dealing with some horrible crap right now, and after something that happened tonight the entire family has _also_ gone through the terrible crap. It's like, 3 years of hell coming to a crashing end.

So I'm going to be taking some time off from everything - along with everyone else - to help try and make things better for him.

Normally I try and just push through things and continue with my business, but I just can't this time.

I'm sorry...


End file.
